Dean and Dan Caten

Early life and career

Dean and Dan Catenacci were born in 1964 in Toronto, Ontario and grew up in Willowdale. They have seven older siblings. Their father is from Casalvieri, a small town in Ciociaria, Lazio, Italy. In 1983, they moved to New York to study fashion at Parsons School of Design, but stayed for only one semester before returning to Toronto. Finding a financial backer in 1986, they launched their first signature womenswear collection, DEanDAN. By 1988 they had signed on to label Ports International (currently Ports 1961) as creative directors to bring the company more fashion forward and upscale.

At the same time, the Catens designed for their lower-end, leisure brand, Tabi International. In 1991, the brothers moved to Milan, Italy where they worked as designers for the house of Gianni Versace, and denim brand Diesel, the latter of which funded and launched their namesake brand. They debuted their men's collection in 1994, and in 2003, they launched a women's collection and a men's underwear collection.

In July 2017, Casalvieri awarded Dean and Dan Caten the honorary citizenship, the keys of the city and the first edition of LeColuche prize.

Design and fashion shows

The brothers are known for designing clothes and staging elaborate fashion shows . They design men's and women's apparel, footwear, fragrances, and cosmetics. A runway show in 2005 ended with Christina Aguilera stripping male models of their clothes.

In September 2007, the Dsquared² fashion show in Milan featured Rihanna entering the stage in an American muscle car, followed by a runway walk.

In January 2010, the Dsquared² Autumn/Winter 2010 menswear show in Milan featured Bill Kaulitz descending from the ceiling in a caged elevator à la Rocky Horror Picture Show, followed by a runway walk. Bill Kaulitz opened and closed the Dsquared² Autumn/Winter 2010 menswear show in Milan.

Their designs have been worn by Britney Spears, Madonna, Tokio Hotel's lead singer Bill Kaulitz, Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, Ricky Martin, Nicolas Cage, and Lenny Kravitz.

In 2000–01, Madonna commissioned the brothers to design over 150 pieces for her Drowned World Tour 2001 and "Don't Tell Me" music video. DSquared2's design was also featured in Britney Spears 2009 world tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears and Tokio Hotel's Welcome to Humanoid City tour. They have been featured on America's Next Top Model, and they appeared in the music video for Fergie's "Clumsy" and The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling".

In 2006, the brothers were selected to design the new official uniforms for football team Juventus. In March 2008, the Catens signed an agreement to design sunglasses with Marcolin, an Italian sunglasses and spectacle manufacturer. In 2013, the Dsquared² brand had a brand turnover of about €200 million.

The brand's slogan is "Born in Canada, living in London, made in Italy". The twins themselves have worked on side projects; they have appeared on America's Next Top Model and co-hosted their own show Launch My Line. Celebrities associated with the brand include singer Fergie, Madonna, Britney Spears and Beyoncé.

In June 2007, the first Dsquared² flagship was opened in Milan's fashion district. Stores also opened in St. Moritz, Athens, Mykonos, Capri, Istanbul, Kiev, Cannes, Singapore, Paris, Nicosia and Hong Kong. In March 2015, Dsquared² opened their first flagship store in London. This is the first stage of their major store redesign programme that will continue into the US at the end of 2015.

More recent Dsquared² stores openings have included Miami, Doha, Los Angeles, New York, Baku, Rome, Istanbul and Madrid.

Radio and television

The Caten brothers host their own radio program called Dean and Dan on Air: Style in Stereo. The show began airing on Sirius XM satellite radio’s BPM channel and features a variety of music (including soundtracks from select Dsquared² runway shows), along with celebrity interviews, fashion and political discussions. The brothers co-hosted and judged Launch My Line, a competition reality show on Bravo, which began airing in December 2009.

Controversy

Dsquared² garnered considerable controversy following the unveiling of its "DSquaw" line at the 2015 Milan Fashion Week. Critics and commentators expressed outrage at the fashion studio's use of the term "Squaw"–a word which carries strongly racist connotations as a derogatory term for North American indigenous women–in Twitter hashtags and marketing promoting the line. All instances of "DSquaw" were later taken down from official Dsquared² media and marketing channels.

Critics furthermore pointed to the appropriation of Inuu and Canadian indigenous decorations and attire in the fashion line itself, calling it a "misappropriation". "culturally insensitive.

The Dsquared² website described the women's line as: "The enchantment of Canadian Indian tribes. The confident attitude of the British aristocracy. In a captivating play on contrasts: an ode to America's native tribes meets the noble spirit of Old Europe."

Awards

The Catens were awarded the 2003 GQ Men of the Year Breakout Design Award. In 2006, they received the Golden Needle Award. On June 16, 2009, it was announced that the duo would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. The induction ceremony was held on September 12, 2009 and the presentation was made by Daria Werbowy.